Tuna and pasta shells in tomato sauce topped with creamy cheese sauce and baked in the oven – the best tuna pasta bake ever!

This is the fish dish for people who don’t like fish. The tomato sauce takes any strong fishy taste away from the tuna, and the cheese sauce on top just makes it ultra creamily delicious. Both of my girls LOVE this.

The three pans and two sauces thing is a bit of pain (even though one is basically just mixing tomato sauce and tuna), but I promise this is so worth it, and you can tidy up while it is cooking the oven! You could even cheat with a ready made cheese sauce if you wanted.

When I was little my mum (who worked late and really isn’t really a cook, bless her!) used to buy me a microwave tuna pasta bake from M&S about once a week – I loved the tomato and cheese sauce combo with tuna but now I cook for my family I’m not really a fan of microwave meals (sooooo expensive and never as tasty as homemade!) so here is my wholesome homemade version that I promise is much more yummy!

You could add any veg you like in with the tomato sauce.

Serves 2 adults, 2 kids.

Ingredients:

1 tin of tuna – drained

400g passata

1-2 cloves garlic, crushed (optional)

300g shell pasta (or whatever pasta you like)

20g plain flour

20g butter / spread

Half a pint of milk

50g grated cheddar cheese plus extra for topping if wanted

Method:

1) Put the pasta on to boil and cook according to packet instructions. Preheat the oven to 180*C.

2) While the pasta is boiling, heat up the passata in a small saucepan and add the crushed garlic if using. Flake in the drained tuna from the tina. Stir well, breaking up any big bits of tuna. Cook until hot.

3) In a separate saucepan melt 20g of butter and then remove from the heat and stir in 20g of plain flour. Pour in half a pint of milk, put it back over a medium heat and stir and stir until thickened into a white sauce. Season with salt and pepper then mix in 50g of cheese and stir until melted.

4) When cooking, drain the pasta and mix with the tomatoey tuna sauce. Pop it into a casserole dish and then pour the cheese sauce over the top.

5) Sprinkle over a handful of extra grated cheese and bake at 180*C for 10-15 minutes or so – until golden brown on top.